2025 Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference

AUTHORS: Auriel Fournier, Forbes Biological Station–Bellrose Waterfowl Research Center, Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign;
Chad Cremer, Forbes Biological Station–Bellrose Waterfowl Research Center, Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign;
Nicole Pietrunti, Forbes Biological Station–Bellrose Waterfowl Research Center, Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign;
Mike Avara, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Havana, Illinois, 62644
Therin Bradshaw, Forbes Biological Station–Bellrose Waterfowl Research Center, Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign;
Chelsea Kross, Forbes Biological Station–Bellrose Waterfowl Research Center, Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign;
Andrew Gilbert, Forbes Biological Station–Bellrose Waterfowl Research Center, Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign;
Joshua Osborn, Forbes Biological Station–Bellrose Waterfowl Research Center, Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign;
Mike Ward, Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign


ABSTRACT: Public wetlands within the midwestern US are managed for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent species, providing habitat for migratory wetland bird species provides the additional challenge of creating the needed habitat at the needed time. While a body of literature is available about the migratory timing of waterfowl and shorebirds other marsh birds remain a data gap. Rallids (Family Rallidae) are members of a larger group of marsh birds, which includes game and non-game species that use a variety of emergent wetlands. Sora and Virginia rail are the most abundant game species among Rallids found in the Midwest. Uncertainty remains about the stopover duration, migratory decisions, and migratory paths of both species in spring and fall migration. Our objectives were to determine the spring and fall migratory timing, stopover duration and migratory pathways of Sora and Virginia Rail.